Duff on Hospitality Law

As you can see from our short list of stories below, it was a relatively quiet week in the online travel world.  I hope you enjoy:

• • DerbySoft Moves Into Airline Industry.  Hotel distribution connectivity provider, DerbySoft, announced plans last week to acquire China-based Pkfare.  Pkfare provides connectivity services for hotels similar to DerbySoft, but also provides those services to approximately 600 airlines (an industry that DerbySoft has not yet penetrated).  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  The companies plan to maintain their independent businesses, with certain back of house functions integrated. 
  • Expedia Exploring Sponsored Listings for VRBO.  The same sponsored listings (a/k/a advertisements) that Expedia and Hotels.com feature today on their respective websites may soon make their way to VRBO.  In a recent interview, Rob Torres (SVP of Media and Affiliate Solutions at Expedia) identified the listings as something he’d like to change at VRBO.  Airbnb does not currently provide an advertising platform on its site.   
  • Additional Thoughts on Recently Announced Expedia and Amadeus Partnership.  Last week we included the recent announcement by Expedia and Amadeus regarding their newly expanded technology relationship, an expansion that will allow Expedia to offer Amadeus’ New Distribution Capability (NDC) content.  By moving away from the decades old technology offered by the major GDS providers to NDC, Expedia will soon be able to offer its users many of same products and services offered through airlines’ own channels – seat selection, pre-flight services and onboard products and services.